Jennings L. Overstreet, Osceola ranching pioneer, dies at 70

Jennings L. Overstreet 1935-2005

October 8, 2005|By Elaine Aradillas, Sentinel Staff Writer

KISSIMMEE -- Jennings L. Overstreet, one of the patriarchs of cattle ranching in Osceola County, died Friday of cancer. He was 70.

Overstreet spent a lifetime as a rancher. Instead of attending the University of Florida, as his father had, he learned the multi-generation family business of raising cattle at home, among the scrub and pasture of rural Osceola.

"He was on a horse right up until the spring of this year," said JoAnn Overstreet, his wife of 51 years. "He was always so thankful he was able to do what he loved best. He loved the cattle business."

Overstreet also enjoyed sharing that passion with others. He led the charge in educating people about the history of ranchers in Osceola County.

In 1987, he celebrated the county's centennial by leading a trail ride across the county, which led to the annual Osceola County Wagon Train and Trail Ride.

Chuck Dunnick, a former county commissioner, said Overstreet was instrumental in making the ride into a successful adventure that attracts people from across the country.

"It was a great history lesson for guys like me," he said. "He had a keen fondness of showing people Osceola County."

The tradition was spotlighted in 1995 when the state celebrated its 150th anniversary with the Great Florida Cattle Drive. Participants drove 1,000 cows from Yeehaw Junction into Silver Spurs Arena. Overstreet was chosen to be the "cow boss" who led the 65-mile drive.

Overstreet was born Feb. 21, 1935, near Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee and represented the fourth generation of Osceola ranchers. His great-grandfather, Henry Overstreet, had moved from Georgia to what is now Osceola County in 1852.

The story goes that the Overstreet clan was driving a small herd of cattle toward Tampa when they were forced to stop at Bonnet Creek because of rising flood waters. They never left.

Jennings Overstreet's son, Clay, 46, and grandson Cole, 10, are carrying on the family traditions of ranching. The family owns or leases about 5,000 acres, JoAnn Overstreet said.

When he wasn't handling the cattle or taking care of his family, Overstreet was often rooting for the Florida Gators football team.

"He hadn't missed a home game in Gainesville in 50 years until this season," his wife said.

In the 1980s, Overstreet undertook an ambitious project to develop a 1,000-acre lakefront community, complete with a golf course. But the development never prospered because of court battles and disputes over land ownership.

Overstreet turned his attention back to ranching and never wavered, despite the fact that he knew there weren't many like him left. He was among the last of the generation of ranchers whose culture dominated Osceola until the wave of development spawned by Walt Disney World's arrival transformed the county.

Another was Henry Hyatt "Doc" Partin, a founder of the Silver Spurs Riding Club whose twice-yearly rodeo is happening this weekend at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. Partin died in February at the age of 88.

Overstreet and an older childhood friend, Pete Clemons, used to ride the school bus together, Clemons recalled Friday. They talked about football, movies and, of course, horses and cattle.

They remained close after Clemons left for Lake Okeechobee, where he and his son now run the Okeechobee Livestock Market. Many times, the two of them made a deal on a handshake -- more valuable to Overstreet than any binding legal document.

"You didn't have to write down anything," Clemons said, "because if he told you something, that's the way it would be."

Clemons, 81, said he and his friend talked often about everything, including the dwindling number of ranchers.

"He realized the change was inevitable," he said. "There's going to be a big void, as far as I'm concerned."